Bill Maher has taken aim at Republican lawmakers after dire reports emerged of conditions aboard a U.S. warship.

Sailors have said that say life on the USS Abraham Lincoln has grown unbearable after more than eight months at sea in the Middle East.

Concerns have been raised about a lack of food, water contamination and the deteriorating mental health of staff on board.

Speaking on the latest episode of his talk show Real Time, Maher said: “I’ve used this phrase before, but Republicans, they have this patriotic immunity.”

He continued: “They can do things that are so unpatriotic and they don’t seem to pay a price for it the way a Democrat would. When I hear about troops being on a ship where the toilets aren’t working and there’s not enough food and they’re so morose about this that at least one of them jumped off the ship… it just makes my blood boil.”

Maher first used the phrase “patriotic immunity” almost a decade ago, when he suggested in 2017 that Republican politicians can “get away with pretty much anything when it comes to selling out, cursing out or compromising your own country” simply because they profess to be more patriotic than their opponents.

During this week’s Real Time episode, pollster Kristen Soltis Anderson suggested that issues on the USS Abraham Lincoln stem from service members not feeling like there is “any kind of mission that’s worth fighting.”

However Maher pushed back at this idea, saying: “I disagree with that. There was a mission worth fighting. We f***ed it up how we did it.”

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He went on: “Iran having a nuclear weapon, Iran being the actor in the Middle East that has f***ed everything up in that region for the last 50 years, changing that dynamic was not an unreasonable thing to try. They did it at the wrong time. They f***ed it up. They should have done it when the people were in the streets. They didn’t and now we’re here where we are.”

The US military is understood to be preparing to replace the Lincoln with the USS George Washington as part of a scheduled Middle East deployed, according to the Wall Street Journal, citing US officials.

Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth played down concerns during a trip to Panama on Thursday, saying they were “completely misrepresented”.

”We make sure every ship, every crew, every captain has everything we can provide them at every single moment. Some deployments are longer than others, and I have more respect and gratitude for those sailors than anybody,” he said.

Cragside is described as being “Britain’s original smart home at the heart of a grand fantasy garden”.

Cragside House is surrounded by a landscaped garden with different areas to explore.

If you need somewhere to entertain your children for a day, Cragside could be the perfect place, thanks to its miles of “paths and twists and turns to discover”.

What is the National Trust site, Cragside, like?

The content creator, Geordie Hiker, visited the site and said it was “like stepping into a fairytale”.

She added: “Nestled in the heart of Rothbury, Cragside is a must-visit gem in Northumberland.

“Famous for being the first home in the world to be powered by hydroelectricity!

“Explore the stunning architecture, 1,000-acre estate, and beautiful gardens.”

Cragside House is a Victorian mansion with many rooms to look around, including a library, Turkish bath suite, and kitchen.

While going around Cragside, “there are lavish luxuries and timesaving inventions across the house to seek out and find”.

There are lots of gardens and pathways to explore. (Image: Tripadvisor)

After exploring the house, you can take a walk through one of the many gardens, including the Pinetum, where you can see some of the tallest trees around the grounds.

If you want more of an adventure, you can try the Rock Garden and walk along the maze of pathways to the Iron Bridge, where you can get a great view of the house.

For children, there are several spots to explore, including a play area with equipment for young children and teens, including tunnel slides, climbing frames, and a zipline.

They might also like the Labyrinth, which is a giant maze cut into the forest, where they can hunt for William the Wizard and find Nelly’s Den.

There are several trails to follow as well.

Entry to Cragside costs £27 for adults and £13.50 for children aged between five and 17, with a few family tickets available.

What do visitors of Cragside think of the site?

Cragside has a score of 4.8 out of 5 on Tripadvisor with 3,924 reviews.

One reviewer wrote: “Immense estate brimming with history.

“Far too much to do in one visit – we barely scratched the surface – visited the house and walked to the formal gardens.

“Didn’t have time for any of the nature walks, so will be back.

“Fascinating history of the house and owners.”

Another reviewer wrote: “So this National Trust property was unknown to us before our holiday in the area and we found it to be a great day out.

“The history of the house was fascinating and the grounds were immaculate.

“We took the long walk round the estate and halfway round the d visited the house.

“The way marked walking routes were easy to follow and the scenery was amazing.

“There is definitely scope for multiple visits to this wonderful place.”

Have you ever visited Cragside before? Let us know in the comments.

Oscar-nominated actor Adam Driver, Stranger Things star Sadie Sink and Obsession breakout Inde Navarrette have been cast in the new X-Men reboot.

Marvel chief Kevin Feige unveiled the new set of actors on Friday at the Disney fan convention D23, according to a report in Variety.

Sink, 24, has landed the part of Jean Grey, the boundlessly powerful psychic and telekinetic who at times assumes the nefarious alter ego Dark Phoenix.

Jean was played by Famke Janssen in the beloved 2000 film X-Men, in which Hugh Jackman immortalized the role of Wolverine.

Meanwhile Driver, 42, is playing the villainous eugenicist Dr Nathaniel Essex, aka Mister Sinister, who has previously never been committed to live-action cinema.

Navarrette, 25, has been tapped to portray Rogue, who siphons off other people’s energy by touching them and was played in the 2000 version by Anna Paquin.

Oscar-nominated actor Adam Driver, who is pictured at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, has also been tapped to play the villainous Mr Sinister

Girls heartthrob Christopher Abbott, 40, will feature as Charles Xavier, the wheelchair-bound psychic who as Professor X assembles the titular squadron of mutants.

In the 2000 movie X-Men, directed by Bryan Singer, Professor X was played by Patrick Stewart, while his nemesis Erik Lehnsherr, whose ability to manipulate metal earned him the sobriquet Magneto, was embodied by Ian McKellen.

The new reboot has also cast Heartstopper star Kit Connor, 22, as Scott Summers, known as Cyclops because of the lasers that shoot uncontrollably from his eyes unless he keeps a special set of sunglasses on at all times.

James Marsden became a star in the original 2000 X-Men as Cyclops, who is shown to be locked in a love triangle involving Wolverine and Jean.

In the new version, Samara Weaving will play Emma Frost, a psychic who can assume diamond form, while Maya Boyd will feature as Storm, the weather-controlling mutant unforgettably portrayed by Halle Berry in the original cast.

Directed by Jake Schreier, whose previous work includes Thunderbolts*, the new X-Men movie is scheduled for release on May 5, 2028. 

The 2000 movie X-Men dramatically expanded the comic book franchise’s global popularity and resulted in two sequels, the 2003 picture X2: X-Men United, also directed by Singer, and 2006’s X-Men: The Last Stand, helmed by Brett Ratner.

In the original trilogy, Rebecca Romijn played the shape-shifter Mystique, Kelsey Grammer stepped into the role of Beast and Alan Cumming played Nightcrawler.

Sink, 24, has landed the part of Jean Grey, the boundlessly powerful psychic and telekinetic who at times assumes the nefarious alter ego Dark Phoenix

Jean was played by Famke Janssen in the beloved 2000 film X-Men, in which Hugh Jackman immortalized the role of Wolverine

Navarrette, 25, has been tapped to portray Rogue, who siphons off other people’s energy by touching them and was played in the 2000 version by Anna Paquin

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(from left) The original cast of Patrick Stewart, Anna Paquin, James Marsden, Shawn Ashmore, Famke Janssen, Halle Berry and Hugh Jackman are pictured in X2: X-Men United

(from left) James Flemyng, Nicholas Hoult, January Jones, James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence and Kevin Bacon are pictured for X-Men: First Class

Jackman became an international household name in that cycle of pictures as Wolverine, a role he most recently reprised in the 2024 film Deadpool & Wolverine, starring Ryan Reynolds in his final blockbuster before the It Ends with Us scandal.

In 2011, the franchise was revived for a set of prequel films fronted by a younger cast that began with Matthew Vaughn’s picture X-Men: First Class.

James McAvoy starred as Professor X, with Michael Fassbender as Magneto, Jennifer Lawrence as Mystique, Nicholas Hoult as Beast, January Jones as Emma Frost and Kevin Bacon as the antagonistic Sebastian Shaw.

In the 2014 follow-up X-Men: Days of Future Past, the old and new casts collided in a time-travel plot that proved to be catnip to the fanbase.

Game of Thrones actress Sophie Turner was added to that cast for the 2019 picture Dark Phoenix, which emerged as a titanic flop at the box office.

This year’s upcoming Marvel Cinematic Universe picture Avengers: Doomsday, starring Robert Downey Jr as Doctor Doom, will feature several of the original 2000 cast.

Among them are Hugh Jackman, Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, Rebecca Romijn, James Marsden, Kelsey Grammer and Alan Cumming. 

Guiding us round the original Jackson family home in Gary, Indiana, flicking nostalgically through family photo albums, fooling around with assistants in his personal limousine… these never-before-seen videos show a pop superstar at the peak of his fame.

In 2001, defying lingering allegations of child molestation, Michael Jackson decided to make a fly-on-the-wall-style documentary which would show him chatting to celebrities, meeting ‘real’ fans and travelling back into his past.

There’s certainly no shortage of confidence as Jackson gives words of reassurance to a 19-year-old Beyonce, then emerging as a star in her own right. He even laughingly tells cameras he’s glad that ‘dirty pictures’ have been removed from the bedroom he once shared with his brothers and fellow performers in the Jackson Five.

Yet his world soon came crashing down.

In November 2003, with the new documentary still filming, officers from the Santa Barbara Sheriff’s department raided the star’s Neverland ranch in California, part of a criminal investigation into sex abuse.

It was a shattering blow. Two years later, he would be acquitted but for Jackson – who fled the US for Bahrain in the wake of the verdict – the doors were slamming shut.

TV networks lost interest in the documentary, leaving Jackson’s friend and producer Marc Shaffel with a mountain of unused footage.

Yet that might soon change. For, while his reputation has been battered in the 15 years since his death, the King of Pop is having a posthumous renaissance.

Included in the footage shot as part of the film, Jackson was seen meeting with a 19-year-old Beyonce

Filmmaker Marc Shaffel helped interpret a bizarre episode in another of the clips, in which Jackson is sprayed with perfume in his limousine

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The new biopic, Michael, has been a huge success and, grossing more than $1billion, has created a new generation of fans. A sequel is already in production.

Now Mr Shaffel believes that his own footage – one of the last sustained portraits ever made of Jackson – is relevant once again and plans to release a new film portrait of his own, tentatively titled The Real Michael.

Speaking to The Mail on Sunday, the producer said: ‘During the time these clips were shot Michael was about at the pinnacle of his second half of his career. The 1993 allegations made by Jordan Chandler had passed. He was in a great mood and the fans were very welcoming to him.

‘The material was originally shot to be a reality show I was making about Michael.

‘It was my long personal friendship with Michael that made filming this series possible. I own and have shot and paid for the footage and production.’

Now Mr Shaffel wants his film to see a wider audience.

‘This footage is a perfect real-life account of his life – and perfect to accompany the massive theatrical release of the Michael film.’

The clips he has shared with the Daily Mail are certainly striking – although not without their puzzles.

Now Shaffel wants his film to see a wider audience following the recent success of the biopic Michael

Explaining the extraordinary clutter on view in the Jackson family home Shaffel explained that, by the early 2000s, it had been occupied by an older relative who had been given little notice of the filming

Jackson relaxes in the back of a limousine, where he would later be sprayed with perfume

Explaining the extraordinary clutter on view in the Jackson family home, for example, Mr Shaffel explained that, by the early 2000s, it had been occupied by an older relative who had been given little notice of the filming.

Mr Shaffel also helped interpret a bizarre episode in another of the clips, in which Jackson is sprayed with perfume in his limousine.

‘Michael, being the consummate prankster with the people closest to him would over-do the cologne and perfume,’ recalled the producer.

‘At the time, he liked this very expensive perfume. His nickname for cologne was “smells” so when he asked for smells his cousin, who was his assistant on that trip, brought out the perfumes and started over spraying as a prank but unfortunately for all of us in the limo with him [it] was so strong we couldn’t breathe.’

• Daphne Barak is a senior interviewer and documentary film maker. Daphne is also a cancer survivor who has a fast-growing charity with the University of California, San Diego. www.gamechangerevents.org 

The two-year-old’s parents said they take each day as it comes

The family of a young girl from Co Down diagnosed with a rare heart condition are on a mission to raise awareness and funds for charity to help others.

Lily Thompson was born 13 weeks premature on March 22, 2024, weighing just 750g. She spent 126 days in the NICU at both the Royal Victoria Hospital and Craigavon Area Hospital, overcoming infections and blood transfusions.

As her parents, Laura and Alan, were preparing to take their little one home after a gruelling hospital stay, they got the devastating news that Lily was diagnosed with pulmonary vein senosis, an extremely rare heart condition.

The condition means the veins carrying blood from the lungs to the heart become narrowed or blocked, with a stark survival rate of just 50% in the first year. Lily is the only child in Northern Ireland with the condition, that we know of.

Speaking to Belfast Live, her parents, Laura and Alan, explained how it was passionate consultants in Belfast and Dublin advocating for their daughter that has helped her treatment.

Laura explained: “Being born prematurely can trigger the condition, but medics or consultants don’t know very much about treating it, and the prospects of it are not great at all.

“The best way to describe it is it’s similar to cancer in the veins between her heart and lungs, her pulmonary veins. It is essentially eating away and closing down those veins. When we found out about the condition, within a week she lost two out of four of her pulmonary veins.

“They can’t treat it surgically in Belfast so we went down to Crumlin Children’s Hospital in Dublin. She goes for a cardiac catheterization, which is a kind of surgical intervention to assess the situation closely. When she went in there we were given the worst diagnosis, that basically she wasn’t going to survive, and there wasn’t anything that could be done for her.

“But by complete and utter chance, a consultant down there had just come back from specialising in the condition in America. We were coming to terms with the news this was going to be the end for Lily, and the next day the consultant came into us and has been really transformational in the care for Lily.

“Trying to help her survive is beneficial because everything outside of her heart and lungs function is pretty good. The consultant in Dublin told us she wanted to give her a chance, and it’s because of her and our consultant in Belfast that Lily is still with us.

“It took us to have passionate consultants to really advocate for her, which was amazing, and we appreciate how fortunate we are.”

Despite her diagnosis, her parents said Lily is still a “fun loving two-year-old who loves to make us laugh.”

Throughout their campaign, a main aim has been to highlight that not all sick children may look stereotypically “unwell”, something the family have found themselves coming up against.

They said: “It can make things quite difficult as people don’t understand how cautious they need to be around them with germs.

“We have lost some friends as they haven’t understood why we’ve said no to so many invites, as we’ve ended up in hospital, or couldn’t bring our child to birthday parties or soft plays as we can’t risk our child getting sick.”

They said Lily is currently “really stable”, with the summer months posing less risks than the cold winter months. Laura added: “They say a magic number is if you get to three years old and this disease has sort of died out, there is hope.

“At the minute she is two and doing very well, the summer is a lovely period of time where she can thrive and grow. But the winter is very difficult, we go back to what you would know as lockdown days. If she gets the cold, she will be hospitalised.

“She’s a real trooper, she takes quite a bit of medication and during the winter she needs oxygen to sleep at night, and she’ll tire very easily. But they’re very small things in the grand scheme of what we thought her prospects were, the fact we still have her with us is amazing.”

Throughout their journey learning about the rare condition, the family said they have had invaluable support from the Children’s Heartbeat Trust, a charity providing practical support to families of children and young people with congenital heart disease across Northern Ireland.

Last year, a golf day raised £30,000 for the charity, with the event returning on August 21 alongside a raffle to win a luxury Mulberry handbag.

Laura said: “Last year we had a conversation saying we wanted to turn a negative story into a positive. Through our experience, a lot of friends, families and colleagues have asked what can they do to help, but there’s nothing, nobody can help the situation. So we thought we would do a fundraiser to give back to the charity.

“My husband Alan is really into golf so I organised a golf day, and we were blown away by the support we received. I have that addictive personality and now want to continue to thrive and do better with it, especially as I know the impact of those funds.

“We are continuing the event this year and as not everyone is into golf, we’ve also set up a giveaway of a Mulberry handbag in a raffle.”

As for the impact support from the Children’s Heartbeat Trust has had on them, Laura added: “After three months in NICU we were in a period of real unknown and fear when we moved back to the Clark Clinic cardiology ward, and in came the Children’s Heartbeat Trust to help.

“They are literally on the ward the minute you arrive. They’re introducing themselves, giving out a little teddy bear, and it feels like there’s a weight lifted off your shoulders. They’re there for counselling support, to share experiences, to even just take you for a cup of tea.

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“When we were making our first trip to Dublin, they gave us a booklet on the smallest things like what the room will look like and where you’ll go and what will happen. I love to organise things, so to have that done for us meant we could relax a bit.”

The family said fundraising and raising awareness is a “positive distraction”, and helps them pass on the support they have received over the years.

Looking to the future, they said: “We don’t know from each day or month if this is the month it all goes downhill, we just take each day as it comes.

“The thing we have really learned throughout this is all those little things you thought were going to be the end of the world really don’t matter. The things that would maybe frustrate you before all of a sudden are absolutely menial.

“We really want to raise awareness of the amazing healthcare system we have and that it doesn’t always have to be the sickest looking child that is sick. We want to educate people on that – you don’t know how serious it can be behind closed doors.”

Find out more about Lily Tee’s Golf Day here. You can also enter the raffle for a Mulberry handbag by clicking here.

For all the latest news, visit the Belfast Live homepage here and sign up to our daily newsletter here.

The ‘severe’ alert was to warn of the high risk of wildlife, and triggered at the request of firefighters.

The Government sent the emergency alert on Friday evening, which began appearing on mobile devices from 7pm in “the most extensive use” of the UK’s mobile phone alert system.

While many said the loud alarm made them jump, others never received the alert at all.

Using official Government information, we’ve explained how the system works, why some phones did not receive the alert and whether the Government has access to your mobile number.

How emergency alerts work and who receives them

Emergency alerts are sent to compatible mobile phones and tablets during serious incidents where there is a risk to life.

When an alert is issued, mobile phone masts in the affected area broadcast a message to nearby devices.

Every compatible phone or tablet within range of the mast will receive the alert, regardless of whether it is connected to mobile data or Wi-Fi.

The system works across all UK 4G and 5G mobile networks and is free to use.

People do not need to sign up for alerts or download an app.

Why you might not receive an alert

Some devices will not receive alerts, including those that are:

Turned off

Connected to a 2G or 3G network

Wi-Fi-only devices

Not compatible with the emergency alert system

Devices placed in airplane mode may also fail to receive alerts.

Which devices are compatible?

Emergency alerts work on:

iPhones running iOS 14.5 or later

Android phones and tablets running Android 11 or later

Some devices running older versions of Android may also be able to receive alerts.

Users can check by searching their settings for “emergency alerts”.

Other mobile phones that do not use iOS or Android may also be compatible.

Can you view an alert again?

People who want to revisit an alert can check the government’s current and past emergency alerts pages or search for emergency alerts in their device settings.

Android users may receive more than one reminder about the same alert.

These reminders can be switched off in the device’s emergency alert settings.

What about privacy?

The emergency services and UK Government do not need a person’s phone number to send an alert.

No personal information is collected or shared through the system, and data about a user’s device or location is not stored.

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Rita Ora looked nothing short of incredible as she showed off her toned figure in a mismatched bikini while soaking up the sun on a yacht in Ibiza earlier this week.

The singer, 35, was joined on the luxury vessel by her husband Taika Waititi, her pal Lady Mary Charteris, as well as Mary’s husband Robbie Furze and their daughter Wilde Jessie Furze.

And Rita certainly made the most of the glorious Spanish weather as she enjoyed a spot of snorkelling in the Mediterranean sea before showering off on board the boat.

The Anywhere hitmaker looked on fine form on the trip, slipping her trim physique into a grey patterned bikini top and zebra print thong bottoms. 

Rita accessorised her holiday look with plenty of gold jewellery, including bangles and chains, while her platinum blonde locks were left loose for the occasion.

The star was having a whale of a time as she enjoyed a swim before kicking back in an inflatable sea pool with her film director husband Taika, 50. 

Rita certainly made the most of the glorious Spanish weather as she enjoyed a spot of snorkelling in the Mediterranean sea before showering off on board the boat

Meanwhile, Rita’s friend Lady Mary also looked fantastic, opting for a skimpy brown bikini for the day at sea.

The model and DJ, 39, looked in her element as she too soaked up the sun onboard the deck of the swanky megayacht before making the most of the beautiful waters.

The group then dried off and were later seen on a speedboat as they headed towards dry land.

For their excursion, Rita opted for some barely-there lace leggings, accessorising her look with a black bandana and a furry black bag.

The yacht trip was no doubt a double celebration for the couple, with August seeing them celebrate their fourth wedding anniversary.

While New Zealand film-maker Taika also turns 51 this month. 

Rita is currently busy working on her fourth album and recently reprised her role as the Queen of Hearts in Descendants.

But despite now being a global superstar with an estimated net worth of £26million, Rita’s childhood couldn’t have been more different.

The singer, 35, was joined on the luxury vessel by her husband Taika Waititi, her pal Lady Mary Charteris, as well as Mary’s husband Robbie Furze and their daughter Wilde Jessie Furze

Rita showed off her amazing physique during her fun-filled day on the yacht

The Anywhere hitmaker looked on fine form on the trip, slipping her trim physique into a grey patterned bikini top and zebra print thong bottoms

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Rita accessorised her holiday look with plenty of gold jewellery, including bangles and chains, while her platinum blonde locks were left loose for the occasion

Rita happily chatted to her pal during their day at sea

The star was on fine form during her relaxing Ibiza break 

All eyes were on Rita as she showcased her gym-honed physique

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The star was having a whale of a time as she enjoyed a swim before kicking back in an inflatable sea pool with her film director husband Taika, 50

Director Taika happily chilled out with his performer wife

Rita appeared to be having the best time in the water

The stunner cooled down and enjoyed a refreshing dip in the sea

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The Let You Love Me singer appeared serene amid her break from her busy career

She was born in Pristina, Kosovo, but her family fled during the persecution of ethnic Albanians in the early nineties.

At the time, her mum Vera was a doctor and her dad Besnik, an economist, and upon arrival in the UK, they learnt English and started their lives again.

Her dad swapped his career to run a pub, and famously managed the Queens Arms Pub in Kilburn, London. Meanwhile, her mum retrained as a psychiatrist.

In a new interview, Rita opened up about her upbringing as a refugee and if she had ever felt uncomfortable about the way immigration is discussed in the UK.

She told The Times: ‘All I know is I’m always grateful for the education I received and proud of being an immigrant.

‘I think a lot of immigrants have a special energy: maybe a touch of imposter syndrome that makes them ready to improve themselves.

‘Even if they’re not first generation, you look back at so many great artists, and there’s an immigrant story in their family history.’

Kosovo is the second-youngest country in the world and the youngest in Europe, declaring its independence from Serbia in February 2008.

Elsewhere, Rita is planning to take to the big screen again in one of her husband Taika Waititi’s films, and revealed she would love to appear in one of his movies.

She said: ‘Absolutely. I’m surprised it has taken this long! It all has to be about the script, the story and it just has to make sense but that is one of our dreams.’

Meanwhile, Rita’s friend Lady Mary also looked fantastic, opting for a skimpy brown bikini for the day at sea

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The model and DJ, 39, looked in her element as she too soaked up the sun onboard the deck of the swanky mega before making the most of the beautiful waters

The friends were certainly enjoying their break away together

The DJ kept her phone close at hand as she captured some photos 

Rita and Mary were taking a break from their busy careers as they enjoyed time with their partners

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Rita appeared weary after climbing up the ladder

The group were in good spirits during the getaway

The group then dried off and were later seen on a speedboat as they headed towards dry land

For their excursion, Rita opted for some barely-there lace leggings, accessorising her look with a black bandana and a furry black bag

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Rita’s leggings did little to cover her body

The star was sure to turn heads on the beach

She was seen chatting on her phone at one point

It comes after she recently revealed how she is preparing her body for menopause after freezing her eggs in her twenties.

The singer explained how she had the time of her life in her twenties when her career soared, and she was ‘enjoying every second’.

But when she turned 30 five years ago, she noticed major shifts in how she was feeling physically, leading to a complete overhaul of her fitness regime and the mindset that she should ‘treat my body like I’m a kind of athlete’.

She told Women’s Health UK: ‘I don’t want people to get confused with [my health journey] being about me being obsessed with my physical appearance, because I think sometimes that line gets very blurred. It’s all to do with how I feel.’

As well as taking up weight training, the chart-topper has educated herself on menopause after watching her mother go through breast cancer treatment, which stimulated menopause at an early age.

‘I’m trying to get ahead of it and learn about it,’ she explained, adding: ‘I learned a lot from Davina [McCall] while working with her on The Masked Singer.’

Rita, who is stepmother to her 50-year-old husband Taika’s daughters, also feels secure with her fertility health after freezing her eggs twice, once aged 24 and again aged 27.

‘[Back then] a doctor told me it was a really good time to preserve the best quality [eggs],’ she said.

‘It was actually the best advice, because now I’m in my mid-thirties and I have a lot of friends really trying to figure it out. It will just be more of an expansion when the time comes.

‘Davina is always like, “Hurry up – you can do it!”‘

Rita and film-maker Taika wed in a secret ceremony in August 2022, after she bucked tradition and popped the question.

Fans may recall the summer night in 2022 when York became the setting for a full-scale fan frenzy.

The Hollywood Vampires play Scarborough Open Air Theatre this evening, Saturday, August 15. (Image: Cuffe & Taylor)

The celebrity was in the city to play a sell-out York Barbican show with guitar legend Jeff Beck, just days after winning his US defamation lawsuit against his former wife, Amber Heard.

Depp and Beck had previously collaborated on a version of John Lennon’s Isolation, released in 2020, and their York concert formed part of their UK tour.

Johnny Depp signed autographs outside York Barbican in York when he performed in the city in 2022. (Image: Picture Katie Masiak)

But, for many, the biggest event happened outside the venue.

Long before the concert finished, fans had gathered outside the Barbican to try and catch sight of the Pirates of the Caribbean star.

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Some had arrived early, while others waited for hours behind security barriers after the show, clutching photos, posters, and memorabilia in the hope of getting an autograph.

A fan waiting to catch sight of Johnny Depp outside York Barbican back in 2022. (Image: Submitted)

Among them were Captain Jack Sparrow lookalikes in honour of the actor who made the swashbuckling pirate one of cinema’s most recognisable characters.

For brothers Toby, then 11, and Rhiece Rhodes, then 23, the day turned into an experience they said they’d never forget.

Johnny Depp seen stepping out of the Principal Hotel in York during his 2022 visit to York. (Image: Submitted)

The family, from Queensbury near Bradford, saw Depp’s tour bus outside the Principal Hotel, where the actor had been staying.

Toby had bought chocolates and a birthday card for Depp using his pocket money.

After the family spoke to a security guard, Toby was unexpectedly given the chance to hand the gifts over himself.

Depp told the young fan he was “the sweetest,” shaking his hand and posing for a photograph.

Ruby, then 11, from York, with two Captain Jack Sparrow lookalikes, while waiting to see Pirates of the Carribean star Johnny Depp in York in 2022. (Image: Picture Katie Masiak)

York fan Katie Masiak and her daughter Ruby, then 11, arrived at around 8pm to secure a good spot.

The crowd grew to about 300 people, including fans who had travelled from far and wide.

Depp emerged shortly before midnight, just ahead of his 59th birthday.

The crowd broke into a rendition of Happy Birthday, while he blew a kiss towards the waiting fans.

Katie recalled a packed and noisy scene, with people pushing forward in their excitement.

Ruby also had her own pirate-themed souvenir after getting an autograph from one of the Captain Jack Sparrow lookalikes.

Fans queued all day to see Hollywood’s Johnny Depp in York in 2022 – including Fan Nick Hale who had been waiting for hours. (Image: Picture Nick Hale)

Another fan, Nick Hale, had been trying to catch sight of Depp since 10am.

When the actor left at around 11.40pm, he was among those who managed to get close enough for a signature on his guitar.

Johnny Depp signed Nick Hale’s guitar while greeting fans outside York Barbican in 2022. Picture Nick Hale (Image: Picture Nick Hale)

Amanda Monaghan, of Thor’s, whose SOL AST bar had opened in the grounds of the Principal Hotel (now the Milner), was working at the tipi when he arrived.

She said she realised something was happening when fans started to arrive.

“He came out with his entourage, and was a lovely guy.

“He spent lots of time with fans; there were lots of children there and people who had travelled from all over.

“It was really exciting for something like that to happen in York – a superstar!”

Super fan Lucy Brumby with Hollywood star Johnny Depp in 2022. (Image: Picture Lucy Brumby)

Amanda’s colleague, Lucy Brumby, confessed to being a super fan since childhood, and was delighted to meet her idol outside the Principal.

“It is the best thing that has ever happened to me,” she said, after having a selfie taken with him.

“You never know you are going to meet these people. He is a Hollywood superstar. He lives in America. And here he is staying at the Principal Hotel in York. It was amazing.”

A round up of some of the latest food and product recalls

Details have been provided on the latest food product recalls. The Manchester Evening News regularly publishes stories on foods and products that have been recalled by the Food Standards Agency (FSA) and other regulatory bodies.

The FSA issues recalls for a variety of reasons, including when products contain allergens that are not disclosed on the packaging or if plastic is detected in the item. Shoppers are being urged to check their kitchen cupboards, fridges and freezers for any of these items bought from the various supermarkets and retailers.

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When a product is recalled for any reason, the we share details on what you should do if you have bought the item, as well as the reasons the item has been pulled from sale.

This week’s round-up includes chocolate bars, soft drinks, nuts and frozen desserts that have all needed to be taken off supermarket shelves for reasons stated below.

Here are the Food Standards Agencies latest product recalls below.

Asda and Morrisons

Greencore is recalling three pasta products because of possible contamination with Listeria monocytogenes. They are Asda Cheese & Tomato Pasta Salad; Asda Nacho Cheese Pasta Salad; and Morrisons Chicken and Bacon Pasta.

Symptoms caused by Listeria monocytogenes can be similar to flu and include high temperature, muscle ache or pain, chills, feeling or being sick and diarrhoea. However, in rare cases, the infection can be more severe, causing serious complications, such as meningitis.

Some people are more vulnerable to listeria infections, including those over 65 years of age, pregnant women and their unborn babies, babies less than one month old and people with weakened immune systems.

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Asda Cheese & Tomato Pasta Salad

• Product code Asda Cheese & Tomato Pasta Salad Code 5063089221990
• Pack size 300g
• Use by 10 August 2026

Asda Nacho Cheese Pasta Salad

• Product code Asda Nacho Cheese Pasta Salad Code 5063717198311
• Pack size 500g
• Use by 09 August 2026

Morrisons Chicken and Bacon Pasta

• Product code Morrisons Chicken and Bacon Pasta Code 5010251790587
• Pack size 300g
• Use by 07 August 2026

If you have bought the above product, do not eat it. Instead, return it to your nearest store where you will be given a full refund. You do not need your receipt. For further information Asda customers can contact Asda Customer Relations 0330 053 0111 and Morrisons customers can contact Customer Services 0345 611 6111.

Rapunzel bioSnacky Das Original Red Clover – Seeds for Sprouts and Seedlings

A.Vogel Ltd is recalling Rapunzel bioSnacky Das Original Red Clover Seeds for Sprouts and Seedlings because E. coli (STEC) has been found in the seed. This recall also applies to Scotland and has been issued separately by Food Standards Scotland.

Symptoms can include severe diarrhoea (including bloody diarrhoea), abdominal pain and occasionally haemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a serious condition that can lead to kidney failure and can be fatal.

If you are experiencing these symptoms, you should stay away from work, school or nursery until you have stopped having symptoms for at least 48 hours to avoid passing it on to others.

Rapunzel bioSnacky Das Original Red Clover – Seeds for Sprouts and Seedlings

• Pack size 30g – Rapunzel bioSnacky Das Original Red Clover – Seeds for Sprouts and Seedlings
• Batch code 11293
• Best before December 2028

If you have bought the above product, do not grow it or consume the sprouts or seedlings. Instead, return it to where you bought it from for a full refund.